


Done Chasing

by recklesssketches



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Identity Reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-09-11 23:36:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9042725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/recklesssketches/pseuds/recklesssketches
Summary: How do you chase after someone who's chasing someone else?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted some PV kids and some angst, not involving death.

There was never a doubt Bridgette loved Felix. 

She loved him more than anything; he had been kind to her when no one else had, made her feel welcomed and to an extent, loved. She wanted nothing more than to return the favor; let him know he was wanted, had someone he could depend on.

Sure, she came on strong but Bridgette wasn't one to back down easily.

Not when he rejected her offer to go to the park; or the library; or the music festival; or the café down the street. Not when she got doused with water from that puddle; when she burned her tongue on the tea she had gotten to impress him. 

She kept going on; telling herself that it was all worth it if he ever said yes. And Bridgette believed he would; as long as there was even a chance he’d say yes to her - just once, if only to get her out of his hair - she would keep charging on.

That’s what she did; leapt into action and let her heart guide her.

So why was she hiding behind a column, listening to her mind for once?

Well, to be fair, it was pretty odd that Claude of all people was talking to Felix. They hardly got along - actually, Felix hardly got along with anyone. 

Bridgette bit her lip, pressing her body against the cement column and staying hidden from view.

“...once to her?”

“I don’t see why I should spend time with someone I don’t particularly care for. Is it really necessary to interrogate me like this, Mister Haprele?”

Claude scowled. 

“Yes, it is. Can’t you see what you’re doing? Would it kill you to just say yes? Once?” He poked Felix in the chest, making the blond raise an eyebrow. “You’re hurting her.”

“Funny; Bridgette seems quite fine to me,” said Felix, unfazed. “Always...peppy.”

“You don’t know her - and don’t call her by her name if you’re going to call me by my last name, Agreste,” hissed Clause. “I don’t want to see her get hurt anymore. Say yes to one date, tell her you’re not into her if you’re not-”

“I’m not. That’s why I say no, Mister Haprele,” interrupted Felix. “I am not interested in pursuing a romance with Bridgette Cheng. Why should I consent to a date with someone I do not like? Because you think she is a good person - who deserves better? Mister Haprele, while we may not see eye to eye, do you think I deserve to be forced into a date?”

Claude stepped back when Felix moved forward.

“As I said, I have no interest in Bridgette,” he said coldly. “Not that I need a reason to say no to your friend, Mister Haprele.”

Felix stepped away from the brown-haired boy.

“And - not that it is _any_ of your business - I do have someone I care for. In case you are still looking for some ‘valid’ reason to tell Bridgette to stop pursuing me - and I would be delighted in providing you more,” he remarked.

Claude inhaled sharply, and Bridgette worried a fight would break out. No one was in this corridor now, but if fists started swinging…

“There are a million reasons why Bri shouldn’t chase after someone like you, Agreste,” said Claude, quietly. 

“...for once, I agree with you, Mister Haprele,” said Felix after a moment. “Now, I think we’re done here. I only have one lunch break a day, and so do you.”

Bridgette squeezed her eyes shut, praying Felix wouldn’t see her as he walked past the column. Luckily, he didn’t even glance in her direction, just kept moving down the hallway.

When Bridgette heard the doors slam shut, she knew Claude had left the corridor too. Finally, she was alone.

Slowly, she sank down to the ground, unable to stand. It was one thing to be rejected by the love of your life every single day, but to hear he was never interested in you - and basically said he never would be….it took a toll on a poor girl’s heart.

“Bridgette, you’re crying.”

The raven-haired girl lifted a hand to her cheeks, feeling the fresh tears for herself before she glanced down out at Tikki, poking her head out of her bag.

“I’m okay,” said Bridgette, her voice soft and shaky. “I’m - I’m - I’m not okay.”

She wiped her face with the sleeves of her sweater, shaking her head.

“F-Felix doesn’t like me. At all. A-And he likes someone else!” Choking on a sob, Bridgette buried her face in her sleeves. “God, I’m such an idiot!”

“No, Bridgette!” Tikki flew out of the bag and floated in front of her bearer’s face. “You’re not an idiot; no one can fault you for chasing after the person you love. You’re so brave for never giving up.”

“I should have though.” 

Bridgette moved her hands, looking at her kwami through blurry eyes.

“What kind of person keeps on pushing after someone says no to them?” She dug into her bag and pulled out a small box, all wrapped up with a red bow.

Ignoring Tikki’s worried fretting, Bridgette opened up the box and pulled out the gray wool gloves that had been packed inside.

She had taken a sewing class the year before and learned how to knit from her mom, so the gloves were well-made albeit not the highest quality. Still, she had been proud of them and thought they would make a good gift for Felix. She had noticed he was always shaking in the cold weather and sticking his hands in his pockets instead of wearing gloves.

Bridgette ran a finger over the material. It was a nice brand of wool, so she knew they would keep his hands warm even with the harsh winter.

But it meant nothing if he discarded her gift, just like she was sure he threw out all the other little gifts she had made or gotten for him in the last year and a half.

“I’m such an idiot,” she murmured, stuffing the gloves back in the box. “The biggest idiot.”

“Bridgette, what are you doing?” Tikki asked worriedly, watching her charge. 

Bridgette got to her feet, gripping the gift in her hands a little too tightly to avoid crushing it. 

“I’m doing what I should have done a long time ago,” she said. 

Licking her lips, she glanced down at the gift before she stuffed it into the nearby trash can. She ignored Tikki’s horrified gasp and picked up her bag.

“Let’s go, Tikki,” she said quietly. “We’ll miss lunch entirely, and Allegra will worry.”

The little god had no choice but to follow her, glancing back at the trash can before the doors closed on them.

.

Felix cupped his hands, blowing his breath into them as he walked into the school. He should really invest in some gloves.

The cold weather had an effect on Ladybug too though; he knew she got a lot sleepier around this time, so he’d have to make sure she didn’t push herself during battles. 

Thinking of her reminded him of the conversation he had had with Claude the day before. Maybe Felix had been a little cold, but he spoke the truth; who could fault him for that?

“Although it’s not like me to share so much,” he murmured. 

Felix sighed softly, deciding to brush it off as he approached his locker. He had to prepare himself for whatever little knickknack Bridgette made for him this time. Usually she left a bag of her famous chocolate chip cookies or some little do-it-yourself project, but there was no real pattern to her “gifts”.

Honestly, he just wondered how she even got them in his locker. Did she know his combination? He’d have to ask the janitor to change it for him.

“I’ll do that later,” he told himself as he opened up his locker. 

To his surprise, there was no brightly wrapped present or her signature pink ribbon. 

“Perhaps she hasn’t gotten a chance yet,” said Felix, shrugging it off. He’d just have to take it out later. Although a part of him did hope she had baked her cookies again; he hadn’t packed lunch again, and he could use something to go with his coffee. Besides, her baking was famous for a reason.

Well, it didn’t really matter. She’d just get the wrong idea if he told her that. 

Plagg wiggled around in his shirt pocket, warning him to hurry up. No doubt the kwami was just as cold and wanted to move to Felix’s coat pocket.

“Alright, alright,” muttered Felix, exchanging his books and shutting his locker. 

It wasn’t until lunch came did he remember Bridgette’s gift, or the lack of it rather. He hadn’t been kidding when he said he hoped she baked something; coffee could only go so far.

Still, there was no sign of a gift from the cheery girl; actually, there had been no sign from the girl at all. Normally she approached him, popping out of the shadows, and asked if he wanted to attend some event with her. Of course, the answer was always no but that never stopped her.

He had seen her earlier in physics so he knew she was here at school.

“Maybe she just forgot,” said Felix to himself, though even he didn’t believe it. Not once in the last two years did Bridgette forget to give him some sort of gift; even when she had been sick with the flu, she still somehow managed to get something in his locker.

Maybe Claude told her about their conversation yesterday? No, Bridgette never listened to whatever excuses people told her when trying to convince him that going out with him would just make her miserable.

And...they weren’t wrong.

Felix ran his thumb over his ring, sighing. 

He didn’t hate Bridgette; he didn’t like her either. But no one - especially someone as cheery as her - deserved to be around someone literally cursed with bad luck. It’d only end badly for her.

Them! For them!

It’d be bad for anyone…

But still, it was a good thing Bridgette didn’t leave a gift; maybe she was finally coming to her senses and moving on from her silly crush.

Felix nodded to himself as he wandered outside to get some peace before classes resumed. Yes, that made sense; Claude probably did tell her everything and she decided to move on. 

(He ignored the odd pain in his chest.)

.

“Okay, what's wrong?” Allegra demanded to know, staring at her best friend across the lunch table. “I know you always run over to Felix every morning and yet you were with me. So what's up, Bri?”

The raven-haired girl tried to play it off.

“Nothing; I just didn't feel like it.”

Allegra gave her a “are you kidding me” look, and Bridgette sighed.

“I just...thought maybe I should finally give up,” she said finally.

Allegra stared at her for a solid five seconds before she slammed her palm on the table and looked around the cafeteria.

“Where is he?” She demanded. “What did he do?”

“Nothing, Allegra!” Bridgette practically shot out of her seat to pull her best friend back down before she committed murder. “I swear, Felix didn’t say anything to me. Please listen?”

The fashionista seemed skeptical still, but she nodded her head and settled back in her seat. 

Bridgette fiddled with her fingers for a few seconds as she tried to figure out what to say.

“I just...it’s been a while since I started chasing after Felix,” she began. “And I want him to like me, but he seems to have no interest in being around me. I just - it hurts every time he says no, Allegra, but I can’t...I can’t really blame him. If he doesn’t like me, he doesn’t like me. I can’t change the way he feels.”

“I mean, you can,” interrupted Allegra.

“Not like this. Allegra, I’m basically stalking him!” Bridgette sighed. “I love him. But I don’t know him, not really. It’s not right for me to keep on annoying him and being a huge inconvenience to him every day.”

“It’s not like you’re trying to be,” Allegra pointed out. “Look, Bri, you know I’ll support you no matter what, but are you sure this is really what you want?”

“It’s fine,” said Bridgette, though it sounded weak to even her. “I...need to move on anyways, before I get even more hurt. And...it’ll make Felix happy if I leave him alone, and that’s all I want, Allegra; for him to be happy.”

“Yeah, but at what cost, Bri?” Allegra murmured, watching her best friend.

.

“Do you have anyone you love, Chat Noir?”

The blond hero looked over at his partner in surprise, watching as Ladybug perched herself on the ledge of the building, staring at the city lights.

“Please answer me seriously,” she said after a moment. “Do you have anyone you love?”

Chat gaped at her fro a few more seconds before he managed to say, “I do.”

“Do they know? How you feel?”

“...I don’t think so.”

Ladybug hummed. “You’re lucky then.” She smiled slightly at her own words while Chat scoffed. “I just mean…it’s better to pine slightly, than to pine after someone who you know doesn’t feel the same way you do.”

Chat scooted a bit closer, eyebrows furrowing. “My Lady?”

The red-clad heroine shook her head.

“Remember Mister Perfect?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “It turns out he’s in love with someone else.” Ladybug laughed, but it came out as a half-choked sob. “And he said he would never be interested in me. So I decided I’d stop chasing after him; it’d make him happy, at least, right? But it’s not like he’d really tell me. God, Chat, what’s wrong with me?”

“Oh, Ladybug,” murmured Chat as he hopped off the ledge and went to hug his partner from behind, his chin resting on top of her head. 

Still staring out at the city, Ladybug let herself go; clutching his arms, she sobbed and curled up into herself.

“I love him, I love him so much,” she wailed. 

“Shh, it’ll be okay, Ladybug,” said Chat softly, squeezing her slightly. “He’s an idiot if he can’t see the wonderful person right in front of him.”

“No,” sobbed Ladybug. “I’m the idiot. Two years I chased after him, and for two years he told me no. I didn’t stop though, just wanted him to smile. A-And I want to say I just want him to be happy, even if it’s someone else, but I don’t; I want him to be happy with me, Chat! I spent two years trying to make him happy, to give him gifts and invite him to places I thought he’d like! But all I did was just make him more miserable with my presence!”

“Ladybug, stop talking like that.” Chat’s voice was firm, but kind. “He’s just a - an asshole, for not-”

“I bet he threw them all away,” whispered Ladybug. “He never told me thank you, never mentioned them at all to me. Of course he threw them away. Why would he keep them?”

She laughed, but it came out more like a hysterical screech.

“I got the last laugh though. I-I made him some gloves - because he never has them even though it’s always cold - but then I heard him say how he really feels, and I just threw them away! What a turn of events, right?”

Ladybug pushed her partner away so she could get off the ledge, wiping her face as she did so. Her body still shook from her sobbing, and Chat watched her with worry marring his features.

“I loved him for two years, Chat,” she whispered. “And even though he said no to me every single day, I told myself it’d be worth it all in the end because I wanted to believe he would say yes. But he never did. I just have to face it. Felix doesn’t care about me.”

She didn’t see the way Chat’s entire body stopped moving. Didn’t even realize he stopped breathing.

“He hates me, kitty. And I don’t blame him.” Ladybug wipes her tears away one more time, but it’s in vain. Just like all her efforts. “I think I’m going to pass on patrol tonight, okay? Get home safe, Chat.”

With that, she leaped off the building, already planning to spend her weekend curled up underneath a mountain of blankets. 

Chat Noir, meanwhile, slowly sank to the ground, a hand covering his mouth in horror.

“What have I done?”

.

“They have got to be in here!” Felix growled, his face screwed up in frustration as he rolled his sleeves up further. “Plagg, make yourself useful and help.”

The black blob floating nearby shook his head. 

“Nu-uh, I’m not digging through the garbage!” He protested. “I don’t even get why you’re doing it.”

“Because this is the hall where Claude and I - aha,” said Felix, pulling out a slightly jostled box. On the top was a shiny red bow. 

Ignoring the pieces of trash scattered on the floor around him, he opened up the box to see a pair of wool gloves sitting inside, untouched by the filth it had been sitting around in. 

Swallowing, Felix pulled them out. They weren’t the best quality, but as he tugged them over his hands, he knew they would keep him just as warm. Looking back into the box, he saw a small note folded up and he carefully pried it open.

_Felix!_

_I hope you like these gloves….I don’t know if you just don’t like wearing them or you don’t have any, but you’re always cold so I hope these help._

_I don’t know if you’ll even read this, but thank you, Felix. For being a part of my life. You always make me smile. I hope one day I can do the same for you!_

_Happy Holidays!_

_< 3 Bridgette <3_

Felix stared at the letter, heart pounding in his chest.

“What in the world did you ever see in me, Bridgette Cheng?” He muttered, just before the bell rang.

A bit dazed, he made his way to his locker - after quickly cleaning up the mess he had made - a few halls down and somehow put his combination in. His mind was elsewhere, and it was difficult not to make it obvious. Not that anyone would notice. No one ever did...except her.

Felix perked up a little when he heard a familiar voice, and he turned his head slightly to see Bridgette laughing at something someone said as she walked down the hall. Shifting his body a bit, he lifted his hand up to scratch at his face. 

His gloves were still on, and he’d figure this would be a good way to thank her for them. For everything, actually. And then he would be able to apologize properly; yes, it was a good plan.

Except Bridgette wasn’t looking at him. Not anymore.


	2. Done Running

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologizing is hard. Especially when you don’t deserve forgiveness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This...was meant to be a oneshot. But how could I deny writing about my unlucky kitten on Friday the 13th? 
> 
> ...
> 
> Okay, it's past midnight now but _listen_. I started writing this at 6 pm, had to stop because I didn't have access to my laptop for a while, and then restarted at 10:00. This is good progress for me.

His father had always praised him for focusing on his goals, blocking out all distractions.

“ _People will get in your way, and try to stop you from succeeding_ ,” he had said. “ _But if you ever want to_ win, _you must do whatever’s necessary, Felix. Never bow down to anyone_.”

Did doing whatever was necessary include breaking his partner’s heart?

Felix sat on the floor of his bedroom, playing with a loose thread on the wool gloves Bridgette had made for him. His ring sat heavy on his finger.

He wasn’t wrong to turn away Bridgette. He really had no interest in dating her...at least, not while he was cursed.

Meeting Bridgette Cheng had been unavoidable when they were eight years old. He remembered their teacher introducing her to the class, just after the holidays, and telling them to be patient and give her space because she was still learning English.

The kids hadn’t listened, of course. They had clamoured around her, throwing questions at her one after another, and gotten far too close to her to be comfortable. It was annoying.

“Knock it off - you’re upsetting her,” he had told them as he had pulled Bridgette out of the cluster. He never did understood the look of wonder she gave him; he hadn’t really done anything special.

After that, she had stuck close to him and felt comfortable enough to start speaking English around him, as broken as it was. He had been patient with her, mostly because she was usually quiet and left him to read his novels in return.

A smile adorned the blond’s face - a small one - as he recalled the time she had yelled at some kids, in perfect English, for making fun of the way Felix dressed. Too stuffy for a kid, they had said. She said they were just “jealous farts with no fashion sense then” and dragged Felix away.

They had separated soon after that, mostly because Felix’s family moved, and he had to go to a different primary school. He never thought he’d see her again, until the first year of college two years ago.

But by then, Felix had become the victim of a terrible curse.

Of course, he had liked Bridgette. He didn’t want to date her though. It would only put her in danger anyways. She’d just end up hurt.

Then again, pushing her away didn’t help much either.

“Damn…” Felix muttered, hanging his head.

It wasn’t as if he could have explained things to her, but looking back, he suppose he didn’t have to be so cold to her either.

“ _Focus on your goals. Don’t get distracted_ ,” his father had told him.

If he could get the kiss from Ladybug and get rid of his curse, he could go back to living a regular life. He could be free.

Of course, he hadn’t expected to actually enjoy being Chat Noir. He hadn’t expected to grow to genuinely care for and love Ladybug.

Well...even if he had explained things to her, he doubted Ladybug would have kissed him. She always talked about this Mister Perfect, saying she wanted to save her first kiss for him and all.

Oh, how much easier both their lives would have been if he had only known he had been Mister Perfect all that time.

Felix clicked his tongue, putting the gloves down and playing with his ring. It was odd; he could twirl it around his finger, adjust it, but he couldn’t actually get it off. Plagg had shrugged and said, “magic” when asked for an explanation.

Felix bit on his bottom lip, glancing out the windows. The moon was out, the sky as dark as his mask.

It had been two days since Bridgette stopped chasing him.

Two days since he stopped running away.

Allegra was worried about her. Claude kept glaring at him, and Allan gave him curious looks once in awhile. But Felix doubted Bridgette told them the details. If she told anyone, it would certainly be Allegra.

Or Allegra figured it out on her own and was plotting how to murder him.

Felix shuddered. The girl could be terrifying when she wanted to be.

Still, the person most obviously affected had been Bridgette. She had been quieter the last two days, and although she smiled and joked like normal, it was less frequent than before and wasn't as natural.

He never wanted to hurt her.

It didn't matter if she was Ladybug or not; she didn't deserve to have her heart broken, even after being rejected again and again.

And he knew she was probably in pain right now.

Groaning, Felix ran a hand through his hair as he stared down at his ring.

“Shit. Plagg, transform me.”

.

He had been to Bridgette’s house once.

A few months back, the flu had been going around and Bridgette had been one of the victims. Allegra had given him her homework and insisted he bring it to her because she was busy. An obvious lie, but Felix didn’t have a chance to refuse.

As he said, Allegra was terrifying when she wanted to be.

Still, Felix remembered her address and quickly bounded across the rooftops as Chat Noir. He just needed to check up on her.

That had been the plan, as thoughtless as it was. Just stop by her house, maybe peek through her window for a minute and see how she was doing.

He didn’t expect her to be on the fire escape, shaking despite the blanket around her. He faltered in his run and stopped to land on the railing.

“Now, I have to wonder what a fair princess like yourself is doing out in the cold tonight.” Chat remarked. “You’ll get sick.”

“I don’t care,” muttered Bridgette, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself. “Don’t you have better things to do? Why are you even out here? There’s no akuma, is there?”

Chat shook his head. “No, there isn’t. Worry not.” He hummed. “I was out getting some air and I happened to see you. Now...it’s pretty late out. And you’re out here. Are you alright?”

Bridgette shrugged. “Just needed some air, like you.” She bit her lip. “Rough couple of days, you know?”

He had an idea.

Chat Noir sighed.

“You don’t deserve bad days,” he said quietly. “Do you want to talk about-”

“No,” she said quickly. Grimacing when she realized she interrupted him, she explained, “No, it’s not you. It’s just...a sore subject still.”

Chat gave her an impish smile.

“I just wanted to talk about your cat pajamas, Princess,” he said. “I happen to like them.”

Bridgette flushed, looking down at her pink hoodie adorned with small black kittens. She quickly covered it up with the remainder of her blanket, biting her lip.

“...they were on sale,” she said lamely.

Chat chuckled. “They don’t look made for this weather. I suggest getting inside.”

“That suit doesn’t look like it’s made for this weather either,” quipped Bridgette, glancing back at her open window for a moment. “Um...did you want to come in? For some tea...or anything?”

Chat blinked, surprised.

“Oh…” He looked around, as if she was talking to someone else. “Um...you don’t mind?”

Bridgette parted her lips, shaking her head.

“Mm. My mom went to bed, so just...be quiet as a mouse,” she said. “Come on; I already made some tea. Do you like earl grey?”

“It’s my favorite, actually,” said Chat, staring at her.

It was so odd, for her not to be up in his face and brimming with cheer. It had been odder for her not to speak to him at all, to not even acknowledge him. But it was the oddest of all for them to be speaking like this.

As if they were friends.

Chat swallowed painfully, as if something had been caught in his throat. Bridgette had been his friend once. Why did he let her go? A curse? She was stronger than that.

Bridgette cleared her throat and turned to push open her window.

“Well...come on.”

She stepped inside her room, and Chat hesitated briefly before he followed.

Her room was warm. Normally, people would notice the color of the room or an obscene direction. But no, Chat noticed how warm it was.

Not just the temperature - especially compared to outside - but everything else. His home was filled with expensive paintings and artifacts, all of different colors, but the entire manor was cold, unwelcoming.

Not her room. It was an ugly brown color, but the walls were decorated with so many calendars and posters and photos of not just her but of her friends and families, that one could hardly tell. There were paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling and pin clothes line with photographs attacked, and little mobiles with paper figurines. There was a fuzzy pink rug over the floor, and the floor littered with miscellaneous items.

It felt...safe.

Chat awkwardly stood on the rug, adorned with textbooks and other items, as Bridgette went over to her dresser, where a tray with a pot and some mugs lay. She poured two cups and passed him one.

“Still hot,” she assured before she sat down on her bed. “Come, sit.”

Taking a sip, and noting how well the tea had been brewed, Chat Noir did as she said and sat beside her.

“Okay, so why were _you_ out?” Bridgette asked. “It’s two am, there’s no akuma, and...no reason for Chat Noir to be patrolling this late. Early. Whatever.”

Chat looked into his mug, watching the hot liquid swirl around.

“I made a mistake,” he said finally. “And I don’t know how to say sorry.”

“What did you do?” Bridgette asked. “Was it that bad?”

He took a long sip of his tea. “Yes. It was probably the worst thing I’ve done. I...well, like you said. It’s a sore subject still.”

“Oh...I understand.” Bridgette pauses to sip her tea as well. “So what do we talk about?”

.

Soap.

They talked about soap.

How it came in different sizes, different shapes, different scents, etc.

Then they talked about they could use soap as a candle - it was the same thing, right? One made of wax, and another out of...whatever soap was made of?

So at six in the morning, after three hours of talking and one hour before they had to get ready for school, they got a bar of soap and lit it on fire.

In hindsight, it wasn’t the best idea, and Bridgette shrieked with laughter as Chat panicked and tossed it in the bathtub, scrambling to turn the faucet on.

But she was smiling. She was smiling and laughing, and it wasn’t forced, and he knew more about Bridgette Cheng that he did three hours ago, and even when he trudged into school, half-asleep even with the giant thermos of coffee in his hand, he didn’t regret it.

He decided then, seeing her laugh and poke Claude in the chest that morning, that he was done running away.

He would make Bridgette Cheng fall in love with him again, even if it meant chasing her this time.

And if he did it while wearing a black mask, who could blame him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly have no idea if I'm making this a story. I'm making this up as I go. But even though this was shorter, I hope you liked it!


	3. Done Lying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth comes to light, bit by bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really have no explanation for any of this, I swear. 
> 
> I also added my dear friend, recklesssketches, as a co-author because this chapter was highkey based off of a roleplay thread we did together so she wrote this just as much as I did. You should check out her tumblr for lots of lovely art and her own wonderful writing. Seriously, I dream of being even half as talented as her.
> 
> Also, Cirque is 100% her character. I just keep stealing her for story purposes.

It wasn’t that Felix hadn’t considered dating Bridgette. He had.

He just didn’t think it’d be worth it. That he’d be worth it. Bridgette was pretty and popular, not in a “mean girl queen bee” way but in a “school sweetheart” way. And Felix? Felix was just....there. Why did he matter?

He never did understand why she seemed to like him. There were countless others who’d be a better match for her. They were very open about their intentions.

Felix never thought of the exact reason she would like him. Perhaps if he had, he’d have been as happy as he was now.

Bridgette giggled as she curled up against Char’s side, legs draped over his and hand cupping his cheek. Moonlight shone in through the window, illuminating the otherwise dark room. Cookie crumbs spread over the floor, discarded, and two mugs of lukewarm tea sat on a dresser.

“You’re so beautiful, you know,” she murmured. Chat Noir kissed the top of her head, hugging her closer to him. “The girl...the one you like, she’s really missing out on someone special.”

“Mm, I think that’s my line.” He peered at her. “You’re so….wonderful, Princess. You deserve the world.”

“You spoil me.” Bridgette leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You’re also very sweet. And you deserve to be happy. When are you going to tell that girl how you feel?”

He hummed, unaware of his tail curling around her calf. She paid it no attention, instead focused on him.

“I’m not sure she’d feel the same,” he confessed. “She’s….she’s far out of my league.”

“But you and Ladybug are equals.” Bridgette was confused. “How is she out of your league then?”

“...Ladybug isn’t the one I like.” Chat kept his eyes on the ceiling. “It’s you.”

For a moment, she said nothing and his heart pounded in anticipation. This was a bad idea. A very bad idea. What had he been thinking?

“Me, you said?” Her voice was so quiet, so faint. “You’re - You’re not joking?” She adjusted her body to look at him properly. “But...But Ladybug-”

“Isn’t the one I like.” Or love, for that matter. “You. You, Bridgette Cheng, are the one I care for.”

She trembled beside him. “I...I see.” Bridgette shifted away from him, and his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. “You are so, so wonderful, Chat Noir, and I’m thankful for your honesty. You really do deserve to be happy, and - and I’m sorry I can’t help with that. The truth is...I’m not ready to risk having my heart broken again. I can’t...even though I know you wouldn’t.”

But he had. He had already hurt her so badly that she sobbed in anguish. She had screamed and wailed as if someone had plunged a thousand burning needles in her chest. And now he knew he was feeling just a fraction of that. He had done this to her - and himself. He had done this to himself.

“I understand,” he said finally, pulling himself off the bed. Could he scream? Destroy a building or two? Ruin it like he ruined everything else? “I’m sorry I ruined our evening, Princess. Perhaps I should go.”

Bridgette propped herself up on her elbows, watching him climb out the window.

“I’m sorry too, Chat.” For pushing him away as Ladybug. For doing it again as Bridgette. But she had to do it; he’d never forgive her for lying to him. “I - I want you to keep coming though. You don’t - You’re still my friend, I mean.”

His eyes flickered over to her. He really didn’t deserve to have someone as kind as her in his life, nevermind as his partner. All she had ever done was given him her heart and he had stepped on it again and again until he shattered it. All because he didn’t want to hurt her in the end - because his lucky would ruin her.

Look where that got him.

“Good night, Princess,” he managed to get out before he vanished into the night.

Bridgette stared at him as he left, hands desperately clutching her nightshirt. Tikki fluttered down from the bookcase, watching her bearer.

“God, Tikki, I’m doing this to myself, aren’t I?”

“Yes,” the kwami answered honestly. “You _could_ tell him the truth.”

“I just had my heart broken by someone I’m sure hates me,” she said, smiling miserably. “I don’t think I could go through it again, especially so soon.”

“Chat doesn’t hate you,” insisted Tikki. “He never did.”

“But he would if he knew I was lying to him!” Bridgette suddenly exclaimed, whirling around to face her. “I can maybe live with Felix hating me, but Chat? I couldn’t…” She slumped her shoulders in defeat. “I couldn’t live with that.”

“Because you love him?” Tikki’s voice was calm, unnerving. It wasn’t _really_ a question.

“ _Yes_.”

Bridgette sunk down to the floor, eyes shimmering as she choked out a sob.

“I love him.”

.

Physically, Bridgette might have been at school but it was obvious she wasn’t all there. She was silent during conversations, dressed in blacks and grays as if mourning, and declined every invitation to join her classmates.

It was if she was channeling Felix.

Oddly enough, he wasn’t at school. Not that anyone but Bridgette noticed. Of course. She had always paid attention to him; that wasn’t going to change overnight. Even though she wished it would.

Routine forced her to automatically wrap up some treats with a pink ribbon before she caught herself. Right. He’s just throw them away, just like she was sure he had done with everything else she had given him.

Routine forced her to glance over at his locker, her feet already taking her there before she stopped herself. One, he wasn’t even there. Two, he never wanted her there. She was only ever a nuisance to him.

She wanted to say Felix was the one who broke her heart, but it was her. It was all her.

He had always said no, never mentioned her gifts, and hadn’t shown any interest in getting closer to her. He had been kind to her - once, as children - and she turned that small act into something twisted and delusional.

What had meant the world to her meant nothing to him. He probably didn’t even remember. She had meant to him for years, and then suddenly she had become this persistent stalker. One who got in his face and invited him to strange places on a regular basis.

Though, at the time, she thought he’d like going to that music festival since his favorite band was being featured. She had been proud of herself for scoring tickets last minute. Then she remembered he didn’t like big crowds and lots of noise. Bad move.

There had also been the street book fair, which she knew would have lots of classic works he’d like. But if he liked them, he probably already had copies or prefered getting unused copies instead. She should have considered that.

She knew he loved sweets, even if he didn’t eat hers, so she had patted herself on the back for getting rare tickets to attend a taste-tour at a new gourmet chocolate factory. It had cost her at least four months’ allowance but she thought it was worth it. He had even taken one of the tickets! But she ended up taking the tour with all strangers when he didn’t attend. Of course; he could afford to just buy the chocolate on his own. How dumb of her.

All she wanted to do was impress him; if not date him, then be his friend. But she had gone about it all wrong. Or maybe he just never wanted her companionship. Yeah, that seemed more likely. Guess she never got the hint.

But still….how could she love someone who hated her? It wasn’t fair.

Then again, how could she loves someone else and then break their heart because she still loved the first person?

Maybe she was just that much of a horrible person. Both Felix and Chat deserved better.

She sighed at the thought just as there was a large commotion outside the classroom. A quick glance through the window confirmed her fears; Cirque was running amok again.

And she had just yanked Felix up by the back of shirt. Is that why he had been absent?

( _Duh_. Stupid, stupid, stupid!)

Well, it didn’t matter now. Bridgette was easily able to slip out of the classroom and find a closet to transform in.

“Why Felix?” Ladybug murmured, running outside to face Papillion’s second-in-command. “Cirque!”

“It’s about time!” Cirque grinned as she held up Felix, grabbing his wrist. “Your little kitty showed up far earlier!”

Ladybug stared at his hand, or rather the ring on it. Oh.

_Oh_.

Shaking her head, she decided she would deal with that later. Much later.

“Let him go, Cirque,” she said, glowering at the other girl.

“Mm, can’t. Sorry.” Cirque chuckled. “My Monarch would like me to deliver this little tomcat, or more specifically, his ring. Ooh, he’ll be so pleased with me!”

Felix was limp in her hold, the wind swaying him like a leaf on a branch. Why didn’t he just transform? She and Cirque already knew his identity.

From inside the earrings, she could hear Tikki’s voice.

_“Bridgette, pay attention!”_

At the same time, someone screamed and Ladybug looked to see a classmate pointing up at the sky where Cirque was now dangling Felix with her ribbons. Her eyes widened in horror.

“Look, now I have my own yoyo too,” said Cirque, cackling. “I wonder if it’s indestructible~”

“Oh, no…” Ladybug inhaled sharply. “Let him go!”

“Mm, I will,” she agreed. “After you give _me_ your earrings, Ladybug!”

“That’s not happening,” the heroine called, running towards them. She leaped up and pulled on the end of a ribbon, yanking it closer to her.

Well, that had been her intention.

Cirque had other plans, laughs growing louder as she released her hold and let Felix drop.

Ladybug barely had time to react before the blond was crashing into her, forcing the both of them to slam onto the concrete street below.

She groaned, having taken most of the impact, and she gingerly touched his shoulder. In the corner of her vision, she could see Cirque escaping. Great.

“Felix…?” No, wait. Shit. She wasn’t supposed to know his name. “Felix?” Fucking shit. Even worse. But then again, he already knew her name, right? “Um, civilian?” No. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

When she received no response, she furrowed her eyebrows and gently rolled him off of her so she could see his face. To her dismay, his eyes were glazed over, void. Cirque had made him one of her mindless clowns, a dummy for her audience. That had been why he hadn’t fought back earlier.

“Oh….Felix, wake up,” she murmured, checking for an obvious injuries. Seeing none, she took his face in her hands and examined him. “Felix, please….I really don’t wanna do this.”

Biting her lip, she pulled back her hand and slapped him as hard as she could. (She would deny later that it made her feel better. Just a little though.)

Luckily, that seemed to do the trick as Felix blinked rapidly for a few moments before he recognized her.

“Ladybug?”

“Yes, but you also seem to know me by another name.” She couldn’t keep the iciness out of her voice, and he grimaced. “Cirque knows who you are and she put you under her control. You should stay here and rest.”

She moved to get up, but he stopped her by taking her wrist.

“You’re not really thinking of leave me here while you go fight her alone, are you?” He remarked. “I am not going to let that happen, no matter how much you hate me right now.”

Ladybug pulled her hand away, looking in the direction Cirque went.

“I don’t hate you,” she said after a moment. “You need to stay safe. Now that I know you’re out of danger, I’ll be fine.”

With that, she turned on her heel and took off. It wasn’t that hard to find Cirque and her makeshift freak show. The gymnast-turned-akuma lit up when she saw the heroine and took her eyes off the hypnotized students performing life-threatening tricks.

“And look who’s here! The _amazing_ Ladybug! But what’s this? She’s without her darling little sidekick! Ah, well.” Cirque shrugged, grinning. “The show will be fine without him.”

“Sorry to say that this show is in a permanent intermission,” exclaimed Ladybug as she charged at the otherwise knockoff jester.

Cirque snickered as she easily stepped out of the way.

“Really now?” She tugged on a nearby ribbon and lifted herself up in the air. “But the spotlight’s on you now, dear!”

Ladybug scowled as she managed to grab onto her leg, yanking her down.

“Act’s over, clown!”

The ‘clown’ continued to cackle as she slammed her foot into Ladybug’s face, effectively stunning the hero but not enough to shake her. Cirque clicked her tongue disapprovingly as she climbed to the top of the silk ribbon.

“You’re really _nothing_ without that tomcat, aren’t you?”

“I am.” Ladybug’s eyes were hard as she climbed after her. “I mean, he has all the powers - he _gets_ a power - and the ideas, the battle plans. And then you revealed his secret, and now I’m pretty upset.”

With that, she wrapped her arms around Cirque and yanked her down to the ground. The silk fluttered down after them, no master to hold it in the sky.

Cirque screamed, struggling to break free.

“Are you _insane_?!”

They felt the ground before they saw it, and both girls groaned in pain when they hit the concrete. Two hits in one day? Ladybug was gonna feel that tomorrow. The shock of the impact made her release her grip on Cirque, who managed to crawl away and summon a trapeze to pull herself up.

Clinging to it, Cirque choked out a haughty laugh. It grew when Chat Noir appeared, going to his partner’s side - only for her to wave him away. Instead, the heroine clutched the fallen silk and lassoed it around the distracted akuma.

“Give it up,” said Ladybug breathlessly. God, her shoulder was killing her. “No one wants to be in your freakshow, especially when the ringleader is such a failure.”

“ _Don’t call me that_!” Cirque shrieked as her hand wriggled out of its bounds, pressing a butterfly pin that began to beep rapidly. She dropped it on the ground below her, a crazed look in her eyes.

Not liking that noise, Ladybug ignored the pain and snatched up the pin before she sprinted as far away as she could. Chat, stunned, watched her but looked back when Cirque laughed.

“My Monarch will find her, no matter how far she runs, and then it’ll be open season on her,” she said, a Cheshire smile creeping on her lips. “But...if you let me go...I’ll deactivate the pin and your bug will live another day. Your choice, tomcat.”

Ladybug, meanwhile, clutched her shoulder as she bounded across the rooftops. She didn’t know where she was going, but anywhere would be fine.

When the sound of the beeping came to a stop and she began to hear Chat’s harsh breathing instead, she halted and looked at him.

“What - What are you doing? Where’s Cirque?”

“I had to let her go or you’d be dead by now,” said Chat, panting. “She gave me no choice.” He rested his hands on his knees. “Wow, you’re fast when you’re worried.”

Ladybug stomped her foot. “If you hadn’t let her go, we could have been one step closer to defeating Papillion!” She threw down the pin, not caring if the act seemed childish. “Now we have nothing!”

“We _are_ one step closer,” her partner said, frowning as he picked up the pin and examined it. No cracks, good. “If he can track this, we can too. We’ll find him.”

Ladybug crossed her arms, scowling for a moment as she looked him over. She ignored the throbbing pain in her shoulder.

“I told you to rest, yet you came.” A pause. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“The world isn’t spinning anymore, and I think you took a bigger hit than me,” he said before he took a deep breath. “Um, how are you doing? I know you probably didn’t want to find out this way.”

“Right, because you know _everything_ about me, don’t you?”

Her words came out harsher than what she intended. Or maybe not harsh enough. But it was enough to make Chat flinch, and she relaxed her shoulders as her voice went quiet.

“I wondered, you know, why Chat Noir started visiting my home. A home of a random civilian.” She turned her head to the side. “I guess I should have figured it out. You could have just told me the truth and asked for the kiss instead of going through all that. It would have been easier, right? And you could finally get what you a lot faster.”

“It was never about-” Chat stopped as she held up her hand. She didn’t want any excuses now.

“Be careful now that Cirque knows your identity.”

Ladybug turned on her heel and leaped away without another word.

.

Days went by but no one noticed Felix’s absence from class. Again.

But people did notice the difference in _her_. It was even worse than before.

She was distant, silent in every conversation, and ate alone despite the multiple invitations. Bridgette was cold and blunt when she did speak, and the emptiness in her voice made people shiver. Not even Allegra could cheer her up.

Bridgette thought she couldn’t survive having her heart broken again, and she was right.

But she really only had herself to blame, for both times.

Felix had never shown any interest yet she kept pushing and pushing and _pushing_. She never had a chance and she knew that every time he rejected her, but she had somehow been surprised when she overheard that conversation. Was she really that dumb?

_“I’m not interested in pursuing a relationship with Bridgette Cheng. Why should I consent to a date with someone I do not like?”_

She never thought of Felix as a cruel person. **Never**. But she also never thought of just how much Chat wanted his curse broken. She assumed Felix would open up, that Chat had come to accept his new way of life. She claimed to care for them, but she had nothing to show for it.

Felix wanted her gone. Chat wanted to be free.

But she only focused on what _she_ wanted.

He must have been so disappointed when he found out who she was. She must be pathetic in his eyes, even more so than before.

He had lied to her. Of course he had. If he didn’t, he’d never win her over to break his curse. That was all he wanted, right?

He said it himself. He didn’t want _her_.

“Besides,” she murmured, tracing the lines on her paper, “he likes someone else. Someone better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I know you don't believe me after this, but I love the PV kids. 
> 
> IS THIS GOING TO END HAPPILY?? Maddy hopes so, but I really have no fucking clue. We'll see. I have two endings for this story...I wonder which one I'll end up going with...


	4. Not an Update

Hey, guys, so this is not a new chapter. 

I've been doing some thinking and I've come to realize how unfair this story is. I didn't know it when I wrote and posted it, but it's actually very similar to my co-author's story found here:

http://recklesssketches.tumblr.com/post/145356072139/bridgettefelix-that-sinking-feeling

And I didn't know it until I was looking through her work. She posted the idea first, and she deserves the recognition for her talent so please read her story.

I'm sorry, everyone, for deceiving you. The last thing I want is to take away from someone as talented and wonderful from her.

Thank you, though, for all your lovely comments, and for those who pointed out someone who copied the first chapter as their own (not that I was any better, now that I look back).

This story is all recklesssketches.


	5. additionally

Some more note, specifically a reply to a comment:

_:(( I read the story by recklessketches "That sinking Feeling," and it's slightly similar BUT also very different. I think you were inspired by her to write this wonderful fic! you were unaware and did it unconsciously, and was passionate writing this._

_How does recklessketches feel about the story? Sad? Mad? Or okay? But she's also the co-author of this fic, which makes it confusing because she agreed to do this story..?_

_Perhaps this can be a prequel to hers? Like after they made up in this fic, Felix saw all the tickets and written messages on the back of it. :)_

_. It's hard for authors to comic with original ideas...I mean , Miraculous Ladybug was inspired by Spider-Man!!_

_If recklessketches doesn't mind , I highly encourage you to finish what you've started- you had expanded it so much, after being inspire, and then made this YOUR OWN_

 

Well, I added her as a co-author because the second chapter was a rewritten version of a thread we had done before and it didn't seem right to leave her uncredited. When I explained that in an author's note, I said this story was just as much as hers as it is mine.

But that's simply not true.

The truth is that she wrote more for this story than I have, from the idea to the lines to the characters and scenes. This is all her story, and I just shamelessly took the credit for it. She deserves all of the lovely comments and recognition, not me.

And, yes, I did have the next chapter ready to post but then...well, I realized these things and I couldn't do it. It wasn't fair to her. Unfortunately, I was in the middle of my depressive moods and I ripped every page to shreds. Sounds dramatic, but I've done impulsive things I regretted later...

Nevertheless, it doesn't matter. Everyone here deserves to read her story with her name on it, and just hers. Her hard work deserves to be seen and that is the only reason I haven't deleted this story yet. Still, thank you for your encouragement and words, though I apologize for them being in vain.

Additionally, I'll be removing myself as an author (if I actually understand the directions given to me). It's only fair.

Thank you everyone for reading and letting me pretend for a bit that I deserve your kind words, but please direct them to the person with the actual talent and work.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holidays ^_^


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